Indigenous people in Colombia pay—with their lives—for coal
Indigenous people in Colombia pay—with their lives—for coal
iku
Wed, 07/22/2026 - 17:09
On 5 June, churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, together with investment and ecumenical partners, submitted a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct concerning HSBC Holdings plc and its financial relationship with Glencore, the company operating the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia. This is the first of a three-part feature story that illustrates the grave effects of the Cerrejón mining operation on human rights for Indigenous people, on children’s health, and on the environment, water access, and pollution.
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Mildreth Guetta Uriana, Wayúu indigenous woman from La Guajira, Colombia. The Wayúu indigenous people have faced decades of displacement, contamination and cultural destruction linked to the Cerrejón open-cast coal mine — one of the largest in the world. Communities report polluted water, failing harvests, and chronic respiratory disease, while remaining excluded from the legal recognition that would give them access to basic…
